Israel is a small country, but you wouldn’t know it by the number of hours
Israelis spend on the road. According to the findings of a study released
Thursday by road safety advocacy group, Or Yarok, the average Israeli driver
spends 577 hours a year – which adds up to more than three weeks – behind the
wheel..
Or Yarok’s study surveyed 500 Israeli Jewish adults on their
driving and walking practices and discovered that while women spent 1.4 hours a
day driving (442 hours a year), men spent 2.2 hours a day (660 hours a year)
behind the wheel.
The study also found that younger people tended to
spend more time driving than older people, with those aged 18-34 driving
624
hours a year and those 35 and above driving only 556 hours a year.
The
survey indicated that the more religious someone is, the less time they
will
spend driving.
People who described themselves as religious or haredi,
reported an average of 499 hours a year spent driving, people who
described
themselves as traditional reported an average of 525 hours a year spent
driving
and those who described themselves as secular reported 614 hours a year
on the
road.
The survey also examined people’s driving habits in relation to
their socio-economic level and discovered that people who reported that
they
were below the national average drove 640 hours a year while people who
reported
that they were above average spent 546 hours a year on the road.
A
geographic breakdown of the numbers shows that residents of the
Jerusalem region
spend the most time on the road (712 hours per year), followed by
residents of
the north (603), the south (582), the Sharon region (562) and the center
(520).
With regard to walking, the survey revealed that women spend more
hours a year walking than men do, 510 and 400 hours respectively.
People
who live in the north reported spending 510 hours a year walking
compared to 473
hours in the center and the southern regions and only 400 hours in
Jerusalem and
the Sharon regions.
The study also reported that higher education
correlates to less time spent walking. The survey found that people with
up to
12 years of learning spent 510 hours a year walking, while those with
some post
high school education spent 437 hours a year walking and those with an
academic
education spent only 400 hours a year walking.
The study also found that
religious people spent less time walking than non-religious and that
young
people walk more than older people.
“Studies from Israel and other
countries point to the fact that while in the not-too-distant past,
walking was
an acceptable means of getting around, today the trend is diminishing
and many
prefer to get around by car, even if it is only short distances,” said
Or Yarok
director-general The study also found that younger people tended to
spend more time driving than older people, with those aged 18-34 driving
624
hours a year and those 35 and above driving only 556 hours a year.
The
survey indicated that the more religious someone is, the less time they
will
spend driving.
People who described themselves as religious or haredi,
reported an average of 499 hours a year spent driving, people who
described
themselves as traditional reported an average of 525 hours a year spent
driving
and those who described themselves as secular reported 614 hours a year
on the
road.
The survey also examined people’s driving habits in relation to
their socio-economic level and discovered that people who reported that
they
were below the national average drove 640 hours a year while people who
reported
that they were above average spent 546 hours a year on the road.
A
geographic breakdown of the numbers shows that residents of the
Jerusalem region
spend the most time on the road (712 hours per year), followed by
residents of
the north (603), the south (582), the Sharon region (562) and the center
(520).
With regard to walking, the survey revealed that women spend more
hours a year walking than men do, 510 and 400 hours respectively.
People
who live in the north reported spending 510 hours a year walking
compared to 473
hours in the center and the southern regions and only 400 hours in
Jerusalem and
the Sharon regions.
The study also reported that higher education
correlates to less time spent walking. The survey found that people with
up to
12 years of learning spent 510 hours a year walking, while those with
some post
high school education spent 437 hours a year walking and those with an
academic
education spent only 400 hours a year walking.
The study also found that
religious people spent less time walking than non-religious and that
young
people walk more than older people.
“Studies from Israel and other
countries point to the fact that while in the not-too-distant past,
walking was
an acceptable means of getting around, today the trend is diminishing
and many
prefer to get around by car, even if it is only short distances,” said
Or Yarok
director-general Shmuel Abuav.
“Our survey reveals a very problematic
situation, where Israeli drivers spends many hours behind the wheel. One
of the
obvious reasons for this is the unattractiveness of public
transportation, which
leads many to prefer their private vehicles over buses. This causes
heavy
traffic on the roads and increases the likelihood of accidents taking
place.
“The state must increase investment in public transportation and
in creating public transportation only lanes as well as increase
enforcement
against private vehicles using these lanes. These actions will improve
the
attractiveness of public transportation and bring about a change for the
good,”
said Abuav.
“Our survey reveals a very problematic
situation, where Israeli drivers spends many hours behind the wheel. One
of the
obvious reasons for this is the unattractiveness of public
transportation, which
leads many to prefer their private vehicles over buses. This causes
heavy
traffic on the roads and increases the likelihood of accidents taking
place.
“The state must increase investment in public transportation and
in creating public transportation only lanes as well as increase
enforcement
against private vehicles using these lanes. These actions will improve
the
attractiveness of public transportation and bring about a change for the
good,”
said Abuav.